Here's what to expect from Yukon's spring legislative session

For Yukon Premier Sandy Silver, the theme going into the territory's next legislative session is recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The premier won't share details of what's to come in the upcoming session, because bills and the new capital budget are embargoed until the first sitting day on Thursday. 

But Silver suggests it should be an exciting time for Yukoners. 

"You know, as much as we've struggled as a territory for COVID[-19], putting things in perspective, we're in a really good place," he told CBC.

The first thing on the government's agenda is the introduction of the 2022 budget on Thursday. 

"This budget speaks to ... some of the issues and concerns that come with, you know, living in Yukon in 2022," Silver said. 

Last year, the Yukon was one of two places in Canada that showed positive GDP growth. The territory has also led the country in population growth since 2016. The population rose by 12.1 per cent during that time — from 35,874 to 40,232 people, according to Statistic Canada's most recent census. 

Silver said his government's budget will meet the challenges brought by these numbers — which he said could affect housing and labour markets — with a "record level of capital spending." 

The budget will also commit more funds to education, healthcare and the green economy, Silver said. 

The government is also setting aside some money to "support [its] response" to the substance use health emergency declared in January after a string of illicit drug-related deaths. 

Kate White, leader of the Yukon NDP, said she's hoping to see funding for the substance use crisis as an "actual line item" in the budget. 

"The budget book is the blueprint of what are the priorities for the Yukon government … and if we're serious about harm reduction, and we're serious about substance use … I want to see that highlighted," she said. 

Yukon Party to focus on affordability

For Official Opposition Leader Currie Dixon of the Yukon Party, Silver's comments about spending priorities signal that the government is upholding "the status quo" in this next budget. 

"That's been the line they've used for pretty much every one of their budgets for the last two or three years," Dixon said.

For Dixon, there's one clear priority for his party going into the session: affordability. 

"Housing is unaffordable, fuel [prices] are through the roof," he told CBC. "We are going to use our time in the Legislature to dig into those issues and examine how the Liberal-NDP coalition policies are making life less affordable." 

The Yukon Party will also propose solutions to help the territory's small and medium-sized businesses, who Dixon said are struggling after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and what he calls "stifling policies" put in place by the territorial government. 

The Yukon Party will also continue to call for an end to all COVID-19 restrictions, including the mandatory vaccination policy for public service workers, a requirement that was put in place last November. 

On the NDP side, White said her party will be pushing familiar topics for them: housing, the substance use crisis and putting an end to evictions without cause. 

She also wants to tackle the issue of mandatory paid sick leave. 

A panel of Liberal and NDP MLAs, along with members of the public, presented a series of recommendations last month on what mandatory sick leave should look like in the territory. It's now in the government's hands to decide which, if any, of the recommendations it will take for its new policy. 

But the NDP are going to try to force the government's hand, White said. 

"We have some tools at our disposal, including debate days and questions, question period and motions," White said. "We will probably be using the full spectrum of that to advance [paid sick leave]." 

Response to Hidden Valley abuse case

Last week, the Yukon government's education department released an action plan on how it will fix the policy, oversight and communications failures identified in an independent review of how it handled the 2019 sexual abuse case at Hidden Valley Elementary School in Whitehorse. 

When asked what Yukoners can expect to see during the session to bring about these changes, Silver said his government is committed to change "as soon as possible."  

During the last legislative session, the Yukon Party introduced a non-binding non-confidence motion challenging Silver's government, after the premier refused to force Tracy-Anne McPhee, the former education minister, to resign from cabinet. The motion failed when the NDP refused to support it. 

Dixon said he will not introduce another motion like it this time around. 

"The NDP have made it pretty clear to us that they intend to support the Liberals no matter what," Dixon said. 

"We have a very limited number of private member's days … bringing forward a motion like that that would be dead on arrival … probably wouldn't be the best use of one of those days." 

There are three more reviews into the Hidden Valley issue currently underway. 

Green retrofit program, child services changes to come 

A few things are left on the government's plate from the fall session that will be carried into this one. 

One is a short seven-page bill to amend the Municipal and Taxation Act to make way for a new green energy retrofit program.

The government wanted to push that legislation through last fall, but some municipal leaders, including then-mayor of Whitehorse Dan Curtis, said they had not been properly consulted on the changes that would delegate a lot of the program's administration to them. 

The Liberals and NDP reached a deal to delay third reading until the spring, to let a recently-formed working group address the concerns of municipalities. 

White said she's waiting on a briefing on the progress of those discussions before deciding how she will vote, but what she's heard so far is positive. When asked about this bill, Silver said more will come in the first full week of the session.

Silver said the government will also be presenting changes to the Child and Family Services Act that have been in the works since 2018. The changes, Silver said, were co-developed with First Nations governments.

Another hint of what's to come are line items in the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA) between the Liberals and the NDP that props up Silver's minority government. The agreement expires in just under one year. 

It includes some items not in place yet, like a territory-wide dental care strategy and a new clinic in Whitehorse.